1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to telephony. More particularly, the invention relates to telephone calling cards.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, telephone calling cards are designed to allow the user to make telephone calls from virtually any telephone. Conventional telephone calling cards can be pre-paid or on a billed calling plan that facilitates telephone communications from virtually anywhere in the world from one communication system to another such as a telephone. One example of a pre-paid calling card plan is a “pre-paid” calling card where the amount of minutes used is deducted from the total amount of available paid for minutes. Additionally, as telephone calling cards have become popular worldwide, many countries use the card for convenience calling within the country and to other countries around the world.
Unfortunately, to use a calling card generally requires the user to enter an inordinate amount of information for each call, making it difficult to dial a telephone number expediently. Furthermore, conventional telephone calling cards with menus are usually pre-set thereby causing the user to go through unnecessary menus to use the card, and may waste the user's time by having them listen to each menu. As a result, calling card systems have been developed that help the user to facilitate a call by allowing the user to use common telephone keypad buttons to speed up the call. Two common telephone keypad buttons used are the pound (#) key and the asterisk (*) key. Some common functions used by calling cards are the “next call” selection allowing the user to make another call without redialing the main calling card number or to dial a number within a list of numbers previously dialed during the call, and language selection for voice prompts. Unfortunately, once the call is complete and the user disconnects from the calling card system all of the previously user specific calls and settings are lost. Thus, to use specific calling card features and/or call previously dialed numbers again requires the user to manually reenter the access code numbers, features, and/or the numbers to redial each time the card is used.
Therefore, there is a need for a telephone calling card that is easy to use and facilitates telephone calls in an efficient and cost effective manner.